Protecting personal data for social networking platforms

The Lao Dong Newspaper Legal Consulting Office replied:

Article 29 of the Law on Personal Data Protection 2025 (effective from January 1, 2026) stipulates the protection of personal data for social networking platforms and online communication services as follows:

Organizations and individuals providing social networking services and online communication services are responsible for the following:

1. Clearly notify the content of personal data collected when the personal data subject installs and uses social networks and online communication services; do not illegally collect personal data and outside the scope agreed upon with customers;

2. Not required to provide images or videos containing complete or partial identification documents as account authentication factors;

3. Providing an option that allows users to refuse to collect and share data files (called cookies);

4. Providing the option of "no tracking" or only being able to track social network and online communication services when there is the user's consent;

5. Do not secretly listen, steal or record calls and read text messages without the consent of the personal data subject, unless otherwise provided by law;

6. Publicly publicize security policies, clearly explain how to collect, use and share personal data; provide users with mechanisms to access, edit, delete data and establish privacy for personal data, report on violations of security and privacy; protect personal data of Vietnamese citizens when transferring data across borders; build a process to handle violations of personal data protection quickly and effectively.

Thus, from January 1, 2026, the protection of personal data for social networking platforms is regulated as above.

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